Could You Read My Mind?
by con2020tran
Summary: *Discontinued* The Parasimon had another objective in Runaway Digimon Express, and now while Ryo, Takato, Ruki, and Juri deal with their personal problems, it's about to take its final stages...
1. Just Concerned!

**Could You Read My Mind?**

**Author's Note**: I need a better summary, I know. This is actually a repost due to the fact that I thought the previous was rushed...and no one reviewed that one x(

Anyways, the idea came to me during one of my Writer's Block days while I was writing IOIWR. This one is set immediately after the second Tamer movie: Runaway Digimon Express (For those of you who haven't seen it, you can read the English adaptation by Exiled Tamer). In case many of you haven't noticed, most stories that take place after the movie are "Rukatos" so I decided to try my hand at a Ryuki/Jurato perceptive.

This fic will use the original names and ages as the movie was never dubbed and I want to preserve that. Since I doubt that Ruki would be the first or last to turn 11, I've placed Takato and Henry in that position as well. The story will be in the POV of the four main characters involved—Ryo, Ruki, Takato, and Juri—and the chapters will overlap each other to express how each Tamer felt about the situation, so you'll have tobear with me there. This is also my first time doing anything in first person (Everworld doesn't count...) so if you have anything negative to say, please don't do so on account of that.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Digimon or any characters mentioned in this story. I do, however, own this story itself.

**Chapter 1**: Just Concerned!

* * *

"I'm done!" Lee Shiuchon bowed to the polite applause with Terriermon and Lopmon on either side of her, repeating the action. The latter stumbled in the act and was looking slightly embarrassed. "Ruki-oneechan is up next," the little girl pointed out to the sea of surprised faces. 

Hirokazu finally stopped his lecture of the responsibilities of being a Tamer, giving me a chance to hear what Shiuchon said with equal surprise. "What? Ruki's next?" I echoed, turning around.

"Come on, sing!" Hirokazu called over to the girl. "I heard you were really good!"

Behind us footsteps were heard coming from the kitchen and Takato rushed out with a nervous expression printed on his face, his hands signalling for the other boy to stop. "Quit it! Don't say stuff like that!" His voice was panicked.

A soft sound caught everyone's attention and my eyes found Ruki place the drink she'd been holding in her hands and stand up before proceeding to exit the room. I tried catching a glimpse of how she was feeling, but her face displayed no emotion. "Man, you've got her mad..." Kenta muttered loud enough for everyone to hear, prompting Makino-san to eagerly volunteer lending her voice.

My eyes lingered before the last of her figure disappeared altogether, concern beginning to bubble its way into me. What had upset her so much so that she wouldn't enjoy her birthday party? I smiled to myself, intending to ask her that question as soon as she came back, and sat back against the low tabletop. Makino-san's voice filled the room to the melody of "My Tomorrow" but the pleasure of enjoying it was stole from me when Hirokazu started his lecture again.

Beside me, Cyberdramon grunted in irritation and shifted slightly on the wooden boards before nudging me in the ribs. I knew that he was uncomfortable in this house, but I couldn't let him go wild like I do in the Digital World. Although he'd gotten less aggressive this past year, he could still be provoked to attack if I wasn't there to restrain him. I shrugged helplessly and he grumbled about what kind of Tamer I was being. _Well compared to some of the people here, a good one._

As much as I enjoyed it, I couldn't call myself the best anymore, not since I met Takato and the others. In a way, I admire the closeness between Matsuda Takato and Guilmon for I know that I would never be able to have that kind of relationship with Cyberdramon. Although Millenniumon resided within him and I knew that as long as he was alive so was I, that connection was overshadowed by their solid friendship. I looked up at Cyberdramon and sighed mentally. _If only we could become friends instead of partners._

From the corner of my eye I caught Takato walking purposefully toward the door and briefly wondered what that was about--until I remembered that Ruki had exited the same way. A frown curled at my lip but I quickly dismissed the thought. Takato was my good friend; I couldn't start accusing him just because of my wild imagination. He was probably just worried for Ruki just like I was. I cursed myself for even thinking such a thing; couldn't someone be concerned about the people around them?

Hirokazu had apparently left me and was now letting Jenrya hear what he had to say. Jenrya's grey eyes found mine wandering their way and he directed his annoyance at me, though I knew it was only a friendly glare. I laughed to no one in particular and shrugged, an innocent grin finding its way on my face. He rolled his eyes and propped his head up on the palms of his hands, sighing. I chuckled inwardly but that laugh was stopped short when the table gave a sudden lurch backwards and I found myself laid on the floor. I groaned, relieved that the floor was wooden and not tiled so the break to my fall had not been painful, but the ache in my head was hard to ignore. I sat up and saw that the culprit could not have been any of my fellow Tamers as they were as out of place as I was. Jenrya, for one, had fallen forward on his elbows and was sitting in a stretched position, before pain nerves interacted with his brain and he jolted right out of it. Kenta had been pinned between a pole and the table, prompting the nearby Adult to help him out of the situation. Guardromon held the table up and waited patiently for the boy to pull himself out of it.

I heard a snicker behind me and I turned around to catch a glance of a familiar Child Digimon before he disappeared into the shadows. _Impmon_, I acknowledged, knowing that he probably thought that it was his duty to bring some life into this party. _You brought life all right, not to mention a few bruises._ Thinking to pursuit the Digimon, I stood and creep over to where I'd seen him, only to bump into a returning Matsuda.

"Sorry Takato," I apologized, chuckling nervously. "I was just looking for Impmon."

Takato shook his head, cutting me short in my apology. "I should be sorry, Ryo. I was too busy thinking about other things." He looked around the room in surprise at all the commotion. "What happened here?"

"I think I should clarify myself. I was _chasing_ Impmon." I looked over his shoulder, to the doorway. "So did Ruki tell you what was bothering her?"

"She's obviously upset about something," he said, sighing. "I just wish I could help her. But Renamon stopped me before I could get a word in." His crimson red eyes tiredly followed Calumon as the Digimon flew between us, into the kitchen. "She was acting weird in the train too..." he began before sighing. "It's been such a hectic day, I should probably help Katou-san in the kitchen."

I nodded, allowing him to walk pass me and into that room. A look of concern was etched into my face as I leaned against the wall to think this out. What had gotten Ruki upset? I wondered. I hadn't been with her on the train so I couldn't come up with any conclusions. All I knew was that Parasimon had her under his control for some while before Guilmon broke the spell with his "Rock Breaker" attack. Then the others told me that shortly after that, Ruki had almost fallen off the train but Takato had been there to stop her from plummeting to her doom.

I sighed. _Okay, if_ I _almost fell off a train, I would probably be grateful instead of all upset. So why..._ I groaned in frustration and turned my head to face the doorway once more, deciding if I should go talk to her and find out what's bothering her. It would at least allow me to be comfortable and enjoy the party like I'd planned to do this morning.

But what were the odds of her actually confiding her feelings to me? I haven't exactly been around a lot—mainly because I've been in the Digital Zone the past year helping fix it up—but at least she stopped storming off whenever I'd come to save the day. I smiled to myself when I recalled the incident during the D-Reaper, its memory fresh in my mind. It was the first time I noticed that Ruki actually cared about me enough to put our past behind us, and probably the beginning of our friendship. With a renewed confidence, I exited the room.

Stepping outside into the backyard, I was hit by the intensity of the sun as it fought a losing battle to the darkness once more. "Great view out here," I muttered, holding my hand up in a feeble effort to block out the rays. Ahead I saw Ruki sitting calmly against a wooden pole, her eyes watching that same star. _It's a wonder how she's not blind yet_, I thought, as I needed to squint to see her figure. My eyes widened at how beautiful the eleven-year-old looked with the golden light acting as a silhouette. Whatever I had thought to say instantly vapourized like sun-baked water, but that was a problem when she stood up and caught me spying on her.

"What do you want Akiyama?" she asked, and I saw that not even the slightest glint of surprise ran across her face, disappointing me for a second.

"What? Aren't you glad to see me?" I pouted but she didn't fall for my act, as her response was a short but firm "no". I sighed to myself, deciding to cut to the chase. "Why's the Digimon Queen outside by herself? Shouldn't she be inside greeting her guests?"

* * *

**Author's Note**: First person annoys me as you have to remember the 'I's, and the 'me's in every single sentence. I hope I proofread it enough to catch any third person-ness. 

This was intended to be a short story but seeing as how I'm at odds with romance and have a tendency to make them "cute" (:shudders:), I may develop a plot for this so I would like to point out that although Digimon names will remain Japanese, attacks will be converted to the very versatile English.

Feel like leaving this page? Well remember that since I gave you something to read, you owe me a review in return. :grins: 'ey, I'm just doing business with everyone. Reviews will be treasured and stored in a box for safe keeping while flames will be saved to keep me warm during the cold Canadian winters...uh..."eh" (o.o My stupid action of the day...). The point is, review!


	2. Can't I Be Worried About My Friends?

**Could You Read My Mind?**

**Author's Note: **Yes, readers may have noticed a new style in this story, seeing as (I had to keep the tradition and change my style for every story x.x) there are rules regarding chat-room based entries, even in A/N's. Flashbacks are in italics just because doesn't enjoy inserting certain symbols in stories (multiple hyphens). Just a reminder that this chapter will not be in the same POV as the last was; you'll have to figure that out on your own.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Digimon or the characters mentioned on this page, but I can claim this story as mine.

_BloodyKitsune_, x( You should really consider displaying your email address for all to see cuz then you wouldn't have needed to wait this long to receive a response. Yes, I know that the movie was really in favour of Rukato but that's what got me so bugged and encouraged me to write this. Why is it that because of the movie, some people just think that they can ignore all other events in the series? Why is it that they disregard Takato's initial feelings for Jeri? And what of Ryo? Is that entire moment in the last episode to be disregarded as well?

This is not to say that I loathe Rukato with the passion of a thousand suns, for early on in the series, I was also a supporter and respect any well-written Rukato. It's just that people think they can ignore everything that had occurred (mainly on other fanfiction sites) and expect us to read something they believe is perfect. Although this story takes place after RDE, I warned you about the pairings so you came here of your own free will.

No, I didn't change the movie. Takato may have gone out to see Rika, but Renamon turned him back, not giving him a chance to say anything but her name. "This would have been good if thought out more" 'ey! I barely even started!

_Cynthia, Ruby of the Rose,_ I realized that bit but it when Ryo came out to see Rika, it _was_ when she was just getting up so it makes sense that Renamon just let it go...kinda.

_Peter Kim,_ It may be kinda hard considering that I'm trying to focus on the romance but it has crossed my mind briefly. However, I've only thought of doing Henry's point of view.

_Random Reviewer,_ Little 'review thingy'? o.o I'm confused...But I totally agree with you on the third person thing.

_Amethyst Blizzard,_ I actually thought that there would be someone who already wrote something like this, but there wasn't so that surprised me...

**Chapter 2**: Can't I Be Worried About My Friends?

* * *

"Ruki," I began, taking a step in her direction when I suddenly had the sensation that someone's eyes were boring into my back. I turned, seeing a tall kitsune fade into view and nod slightly at me, advising me to leave the girl. I took one last look before sighing, reluctantly retreating down the hallway with Renamon at my side. 

Why did Ruki just suddenly leave when Hirokazu asked her to sing? I knew that it was my fault for even telling him in the first place, but I couldn't help myself from blurting the fact out. The truth was that her singing voice _was_ beautiful; sure she was under Parasimon's command but I could tell that the song had come from her heart. How she had reacted to Hirokazu's request proved it to be true.

"Renamon," I started, pausing in my steps. "Why didn't you let me talk to Ruki? I'm worried about her. Parasimon may have influenced her behaviour on Locomon, but I know that the parasite must have fed off of _something_, otherwise she wouldn't have sang that song."

"It's nothing against you Takato, but Ruki just needed some time alone," the Digimon answered. "So much has happened in one day that she just needs time to accept it all—"

"Renamon, do you know anything?" I asked, cutting off her sentence. I cast a quick glance backwards as if to check on the girl, and was surprised that we had not walked far at all. I frowned when she gave me a negative answer. Of all the people, Renamon was the closest to her and if she didn't know, how could I help Ruki?

"But I can feel that there is indeed something upsetting her. I am sure that she will tell us in due time." The Child started walking again and left me alone, allowing me to conclude that she had sensed my own need to be alone.

I leaned against the wall where the rays of orange light could not touch, hiding myself in the shadows. I looked over at where Ruki sat and sighed inwardly. While part of me was worried about my friend, another part of me was still basking in the glory of my act earlier on today. My eyes closed as the scene found its way into my mind, as vivid as ever.

_"Rock Breaker!" I watched as Guilmon's claws impaled the strange green sack on Ruki's back, destroying it and the purple spider legs that protruded from it. The girl collapsed and Guilmon rushed over to me. "Takato!"_

_I could feel my right arm tiring and desperately tried to fight the force of the wind, to get my other hand on a hold. With adrenaline rushing into my veins, I quickly had both hands holding me on and was helped up by the Child. "Thanks Guilmon," I said as soon as I was seated on the roof, trying to catch my breath. My eyes darted over to Ruki's still form, worrying about her well-being. "Ruki?" Locomon suddenly gave a jolt, nearly thrown off once more but it was lucky that I had sat down. I suddenly remembered Ruki and looked to find out that the bump had caused Ruki to start rolling, closer to the edge!_

_"Ruki!" I cried again, getting to my feet and rushing over to stop her fall. Apparently, the fall had woken her and I glimpsed the terror on her face as she neared the edge, heard her scream when she no longer had anything underneath her._

_"RUKI!" I screamed, knowing that I wouldn't make it. With the adrenaline of desperation flooding through me, I jumped the last stretch of area and my arm shot out blindly. For a split second I thought I was too late, but then Ruki's hand brushed past mine and I hurriedly grabbed her hand and with all the strength I could muster, tried to hold on._

_"Takato!" I heard her shout in surprise and I was relieved that Parasimon no longer had control over her._

_"Locomon Evolve..." I looked to the front of the train and saw a few of the pieces withdraw in the Perfect and pipes of gold overlapping the metal at the side. More mechanical sounds allowed me to conclude that there were more changes occurring that were out of my range of sight. "GrandLocomon!" We gathered more speed and I could see the vortex that represented the Digital Zone becoming larger._

_Locomon's evolution had diverted my mind, causing me to momentarily loosen my grip. I quickly caught myself but I knew that I couldn't hold on any longer._

_Ruki seemed to realize this as well. "Let go! If you keeping holding on, we'll both—"_

_What was she saying? I couldn't abandon a friend in need! That was true especially if that particular friend was hanging off the side of a runaway train. "Idiot!" I called her, gritting my teeth in the effort it took to continue holding on, even if Guilmon was trying to pull the both of us up. "It's not like you to give up! What happened to you?" I asked. Partially afraid that she was going to let go herself, I added, "Hang on, Ruki!"_

I couldn't believe that Ruki, of all people, had even considered giving up. Was she having some kind of problem? Had she considered suicide and thought that that situation was the best way to deal with it? I tried not to think of that. Ruki was one of the strongest people I know; she wouldn't have wanted that. I looked back one last time, wishing to talk to Ruki but knowing that Renamon was right. I should wait until she wanted to talk about it and only then will I be able to help her. I pushed myself off the wall and started back to the party, my train of thoughts still fuelled by my concern.

My greeting back to the living room was not what I expected as I was knocked into by someone, derailing my thoughts. At first I thought it was either Hirokazu or Kenta playing a game with me, but I heard Ryo's voice batter down that assumption.

"Sorry Takato," he apologized. "I was looking for Impmon."

How could I accept the apology when I was the one who wasn't paying attention to who was it front of me? I shook my head. "I should be sorry, Ryo. I was too busy thinking to other things." My ears finally picked up all the noise in the room and I looked around to see that some of my fellow Tamers in distress. "What happened here?"

The fifteen-year-old laughed slightly. "I think I should clarify myself. I was _chasing_ Impmon." His sapphire eyes darted away from my face and I knew that he was worried about Ruki as well. "So did Ruki tell you what was bothering her?"

I sighed. "She's obviously upset about something. I just wish I could help her. But Renamon stopped me before I could get a word in." I saw Culumon flying between us, carrying his tray of plates back into the kitchen and I was reminded of what I had been doing before I went out. "She was acting weird in the train too..." I started to say, but sighed instead. Why was I starting that again? Ruki just needed some time to get over what had happened. "It's been such a hectic day, I should probably help Katou-san in the kitchen." I bowed my head and he let me pass.

Apparently, all the plates had been collected and Katou-san and Ruki's grandmother had already begun washing them while immersed in friendly conversation. I walked up to the woman and gently tapped her on the back, signalling my arrival. "Hata-san, I can take it from here."

She smiled at me. "Thanks for the offer, Takato but I'm not one of those cranky grandmothers who complain about work. I do much of the chores as well."

I smiled to myself at the similarity between Ruki and her grandmother, but I was persistent. "It's not that. I just want to help."

Hata-san sighed and slipped off her gloves, handing them to me. That was when the similarity stopped, had it been Ruki she would've stood her ground or demanded me out. "Have fun," were her parting words, saying them with her eyes darting between Katou-san and myself.

I frowned, what did she mean by that? Putting on the gloves, I shrugged the problem away and smiled at Katou-san, certain that she was as confused as I. She caught my gaze and smiled in return, but her smile had this certain twist that bothered me. But before I could say anything, she'd handed me a plateful of suds to rinse out.

I placed the plate under the warm-running water, about to ask her what was wrong when she beat me to another question. "Is Ruki okay?"

"I don't know," I confessed, sighing. "I didn't get to ask her anything outside, but I hope she is. I feel like this is all my fault," I said, taking a rag off a hook to dry off my plate. "If I hadn't told Hirokazu anything about what happened on the train, Ruki wouldn't have gotten upset." I was dimly aware that that particular boy had taken up the microphone as my hands slowly went over the procedure of dish washing. "I mean, it is her birthday and everything and..."

I glanced down. _And what else?_ I wondered. After all couldn't I be concerned about my friends? The strange silence of the kitchen disturbed me and I looked up to see that the water had been turned off, and Katou-san was no longer standing beside me. I noticed that the dishes were done and blushed, quickly removing myself from the area. Apparently Katou-san had been sitting at a table behind me, causing my blush to grow even deeper. She didn't seem to care though as she had fixed her hazel-eyes to stare at the wall.

For the second time, I felt that worry seep its way back into me as I approached her and sat myself down. "Katou-san, are you okay?" I asked tentatively, waiting for her reaction.

After a couple of nerve-wracking seconds, she unexpectedly slammed her hands on the tabletop and stood up, making me jump in surprise. I would have expected this reaction from Ruki but it was unlike Katou-san to throw fits of anger. "Takato! Just stop it!" She looked at me with watery eyes, pleading me to...what? The girl burst out into the living room and without stopping her run, told Makino-san that she would be leaving.

I could feel something burst in me in a similar fashion and I had this sudden urge to go after her, but something held me back—the lack of knowledge as to what this meant. Outside I could see all eyes focused on me, silently asking me what had happened. Being equally confused, I couldn't answer them and tried to scan the sea of irises to find a pair of grey. Lee Jenrya was my good friend and was usually the one I'd turn to for advise. He may have been the same age as me but it seemed that because he had siblings, he had this concept on life that I was unable to grasp; he was able to understand how it was to care about someone.

Crimson red met grey steel and he nodded to me, approving what I was urged to do so I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Up ahead I saw that Katou-san was almost to the doors and, bringing out that same desperation that had saved Ruki, I burst out into a sprint and was able to grab onto her hand; like with Ruki, I dared not let go.

"Katou-san," I tried again, gasping for breath. "Why are you acting this way? What did I do?"

* * *

**Author's Note**: Perhaps I made Jeri a little OOC in this chapter, but hopefully I can explain her behaviour when I get to her part seeing as I've got half that chapter finished. Expect a quick update after chapter 3. Takato may have been a bit OOC, but I was trying to capture his naïve self that we've seen earlier in the show. Although he'd lost some of it towards the end, I couldn't completely ignore that boyish side of him. 

Most of my character information was taken from a site that I will keep placed in my profile for as long as I'm working on this story. I advise you to go to the sites as it really gets in-depth with the Tamers.

The last two chapters may have been a bit on the short side, but I promise something longer when I do the girls. If I just gave away what happened next, there wouldn't be much suspense now would there? ;)

:hums Clay Aiken's "I Survived You": Only a few hours and I've already grown addicted to this CD, but you should thank Clay for finishing up this chapter. :) You can also place your thanks in the form of a review :nods:


	3. To Put It Short: Bug Off

**Could You Read My Mind?**

**Author's Note: **Originally I wanted this up two days ago—which is when I actually finished it—but I had to edit quite a bit because I was confused on whether or not I should include a song at the end. The ultimate decision was negative...no, I'm not talking about _Yuuhi no Yakusoku_.

**Disclaimer**: Digimon belongs to whoever owns it; characters you recognize belong to the creators of Digimon; this story belongs to yours truly. Also, _Yuuhi no Yakusoku_ belongs to AiM or whoever owns it...probably whoever owns Digimon.

_KawaiinessPnay,_ Thank you. Although I've seen FET's fandub, I did not directly use that dialogue, I used a subbed version of the movie. I'm not sure if they're the same but the sub was what I used.

_DigiqueenTMIM,_ o.o Wow, you must really like Clay seeing as 95 of the review was about him...Unfortunately, AOL doesn't except emails from certain providers for some reason so I don't think I'll be able to send you anything...But thanks for your review!

_Lavos, The Time Apocalypse,_ Millenniumon? As in Monodramon? I never really thought about that seeing as how getting into the mind of a Digimon will be kind of hard, but we'll see. :) But you've just given me a _huge_ idea! This chapter is gonna be dedicated to you. :) Hope you like it!

_Ao-Senshi_, Thank you but I don't think I'll be telling you whose POV the chapters are in, just to keep you guessing...pretty obvious though. "Child" is the Japanese version of "Rookie" and since I'm using the original names in this story, it's fitting that I use the Japanese terms as well. Baby, Baby II, Child, Adult, Perfect, and Ultimate; those are the original stages for those of you who don't know.

:) I don't mind, after all it was the movie and a stack of Rukato stories that inspired this one.

**Chapter 3**: To Put It Short: Bug Off.

* * *

Of course Hirokazu felt that it was necessary to ruin my day even further—him and Takato. Renamon would not even mention it without my permission for she actually understood me—the gogglehead didn't and so decided to spread my song around. 

I sighed to the soft wind and sat down against the wooden beam outside my room, my eyes fixed on the slowly setting sun. I heard the gogglehead faintly call out my name, but within a millisecond I could feel my partner's presence and soft retreating footsteps determined that they'd both left. I made a mental note to thank the Child later and leaned further into the beam, recalling the river of memories that had flooded into my mind this afternoon.

_We'll be together forever, forever, Because we promised that setting sun,  
I want to see you soon, Please convey that feeling.  
You unexpectedly dove into my lonely heart;  
You kindly wrapped up the things that hurt a little.  
It was the first time I felt so relieved so  
I squeezed that warmth into my outside pocket; Do you want to go walking?  
We'll be together forever, forever, Because we promised that setting sun,  
In lonely times, we can look at that lengthening orange.  
That setting sun will whisper, "It will be okay"  
I want to see you soon, Please convey that feeling.  
So that I can meet you with your very favourite,  
My best smile, I'll hang in through every day.  
We'll be together forever, forever, Because we promised that setting sun,  
It might seem discouraging but we'll embrace the beautiful orange.  
"It will be okay" is what that setting sun taught us,  
If I really believe, that feeling will definitely reach you.  
We'll be together forever, forever, Because we promised that setting sun,  
Even if we are far away, We'll still feel that same orange.  
"It will be okay" Because that setting sun connects us,  
Don't cry anymore, In the light of the love in our hearts.  
In the light of the love in our hearts..._

_Yuuhi no Yakusoku_. The song I had sung on Locomon. It was strange how I still remembered the song my father had taught me, even after I thought I hated him and wanted nothing to do with him. _We'll be together forever, forever, Because we promised that setting sun._ Well we had definitely promised this same sun but have we been together forever? No. Although I was allowed to see him at anytime, he had still broken his promise, leaving the song with no meaning. His inability to follow through had been a terrible blow to the young me so I had cut off the world until I became a Digimon Tamer.

A small smile flickered across my features as I thought of Renamon. Because of the deep connection between the two of us, our relationship went farther than that of even Takato and Guilmon. Although the kitsune had once been as merciless as I was—due to my influence— she was the one who truly understood how I felt and how _exactly_ to free me from my cold cover. But it was the other Tamers who'd taught me about the values of friendship and, when Leomon died, that Digimon were as real as I was, contrary to my original belief that they were just weapons.

My friends had played a big part in this journey, but it was my partner who'd gotten me to slowly unwind.

I shifted slightly on the floorboards, resulting in them creaking in protest and let my lavender eyes trail a bird as it glided across the orange setting. The bird lifted itself higher with one powerful stroke and found itself together with its flock. It was probably my imagination getting the better of me but I picked out a section that seemed different from the others and concluded that they were a family.

Every year since he left, he would call to wish me a happy birthday and to just try to be a normal parental figure through the telephone. He'd called six times; I'd answered none. I knew that the cut between us was only wedged deeper by my stubbornness, but I felt that I couldn't give up to the man who had destroyed our family—a family that he was a part of. However after six years of anger, disappointment, and sorrow, my feelings had changed. After everything that has happened today, I was beginning to realize that I'd probably been too harsh in the judgement of my father. He deserved a chance at forgiveness after all these years, didn't he? I owed him the shot; he _was_ my Dad.

Now that I think about it, I really don't understand why I had been so stubborn and bottled up all this time. Compared to Juri, I don't have anything to complain about. Even though she lost her mother, she always had a smile on her face and a positive outlook on the world and the people around her. My Dad wasn't dead so I should at least _try_ to repair our relationship instead of being that stubborn little girl.

I heard the faint echoes of hands bringing brought together and my mother's repetitive thank yous. I closed my eyes and sighed inwardly, pulling my legs closer to my body and, using the beam as a support, propelled myself onto my feet and turned around with the intention of going back to the party. Azure blue flooded my vision, catching me off guard for half a millisecond. I found myself staring into Akiyama Ryo's awestricken gaze and a frown immediately replaced my mellow look, a mental breath escaping me.

The fifteen-year-old had an excellent way of appearing whenever I didn't want him to, like the time in the Digital Zone with Megadramon, when he followed me down that pit before Renamon and I Matrix-Evolved to Sakuyamon, when Takato and I met up with Jen during our final clash with the D-Reaper, and today when he popped out of nowhere to save the day again. What did he do for a living? Stalk me and sweep me off my feet whenever I appeared to be some kind of damsel in distress? I resented that; I may be eleven but I could take care of myself just fine without him butting in. My frown dropped quickly; then again, in every situation he was only trying to help. I couldn't hold that against him, now could I?

"What do you want Akiyama?" However, our past still had an effect towards our rivalry and I wasn't about to give in to this little card game.

Ryo's expression instantly changed and his teeth bit on his lower lip in a pouting way. I had to restrain myself from laughing at how idiotic he looked; the infamous Puppy dog look apparently wasn't going to "work every time". "What? Aren't you glad to see me?" he pouted, his eyes looking hopelessly down at mine.

I had a sudden urge to roll my eyes at this childish act. He was older than me by a full four years and now it seemed that he was _younger_ than me by that amount. "No," I answered, crossing my arms to emphasize this point. _Don't think I ever will be for the rest of my life either._

The boy finally decided to drop the childish approach and ask me the question directly. "Why's the Digimon Queen outside by herself? Shouldn't she be inside greeting her guests?"

I should have known where this conversation was headed. "Last time I checked, I didn't need to report my every single movement. Do I need to ask you when to breathe next?"

Ryo sighed. "Look Ruki, I just came out to see what was bothering you, not to bug you and such. Can't I just be concerned about you?"

Did he want to play this card again? "Do you really think that I am just someone to save Akiyama? I can take care of myself perfectly without your concern; same thing goes for your help. I don't need you interrupting everything I do, nor do I need you questioning my every motion. I have my own reasons for acting as I do and fortunately, they are my own private reasons. To put it short, bug off."

A spark of genuine hurt crossed the older boy's face and for a second I felt terribly sorry for being as harsh as I was. However the second passed and Ryo was back to his old self and as a consequence, so was I. He took a step forward and had his infamous grin on. "You didn't think that a few words would spray Akiyama Ryo away, did you?"

_The thought had briefly crossed my mind seeing the bug that you are._ A smile crept onto my face as I repeated his action; I wasn't about to back down. "No, the mere presence of Makino Ruki should have already killed him. Then again, it should have killed him a year ago."

His smile widened as he subtracted more distance between us. "Then it appears as if he survived you."

I hurriedly dropped my smile and glared deeply into his sapphire eyes. I may not have wanted to back down, but his closeness made me feel uncomfortable. "If you want to keep 'surviving', I'd suggest you stop your advances," I said coldly, causing a flicker of uncertainty to sprint across his gaze. _Sure, play the victim now._

"What are you implying Ruki? Did you actually think I would harm you in any way?" His frown was light and his eyes probed mine for an answer. I saw realization take its place in his eyes and he swayed slightly in his stance. "It has something to do with what's bothering you," he breathed. His gaze immediately sharpened and he boldly took another step towards me, leaning forward so that our faces were almost touching.

"Tell me what's bothering you Ruki, or I won't back down."

An unexplainable fire raged through me and I was pretty sure some of that fire burned into him, especially allied with the strength of my will. Who did he think he was? Did he think that he could just go anywhere asking these sorts of questions? He had no right; what I wanted to be kept a secret shall remain a secret. A part of my brain was reminded that he was merely concerned about my state-of-being but he had gone too far. He was no God.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Ryo," I reminded, but after a few seconds it was apparent that he was insistent in keeping the distance between us. _Fine._

A dull sound was heard when knucklebone introduced itself to cheekbone, causing Akiyama Ryo to stumble backwards in shock. I bet he never thought I would actually hit him—although I had implied to many times in the past. _Oh, so _now_ you're backing down_, I thought as I slowly let my hand drop to the side.

Ryo's normally clear azure eyes were clouded with disbelief when they found mine, once again making me regret my rushed action. "I warned you," I muttered, turning my gaze.

"I was only worried about you," he repeated. "I already told you that Ruki."

I sighed, directing my eyes to confront him; we were here before and I didn't feel like starting over again. "_I _told you that I don't need nor do I want you worrying about me. Do you truly think that once you've 'solved' all my problems, I'll be indebted to you? And I'll be another one of your brainless fan girls just waiting to serve your ass? Sorry Akiyama, but I don't think I will anytime soon so you can just stop your act." Scowling in irritation, I brushed past him so I could get back to the party. I hated him right then; I hated him for worrying about me; I hated him for treating me like I was some kind of...some kind of pet, one which needed constant attention and protection.

"Whoever said that I was acting?" I heard him mumble behind me and for the third time today, I was filled with a powerful regret. I glanced upwards and saw the last crimson rays spouting from the horizon, set against the light purple clouds and blackening sky. If I could give my father a second chance, why couldn't I give Ryo one as well—start again as friends?

"I have to learn to make up my mind," I muttered as my walk led me into the dark corridors of the house, the diverse conversations now within my range of hearing. _But then again, why should I even care?_

**

* * *

Author's Note: **Okay, I lied. This chapter wasn't that much longer than the last but I liked it :) Also, I just noticed something in this chapter that I tend to repeat myself a lot because of the lack of creativity. Have to get rid of that habit soon. Pretty OOC but like I did with Takato, I had to take into account the fact that she was only eleven (in the original, people) and since most eleven-year-olds don't rush to get into a relationship... 

This chapter was actually inspired by reviewers such as Cloaked Fox who has a solid reputation as a strict reviewer, mainly because of a lot of OOCness that occur in romances. If you are reading this Cloaked Fox, know that I have tried hard to capture Rika's character and not to insult me to death if I messed up. Constructive criticism is appreciated though. X.x


	4. A Little Rumour Goes A Long Way

**Could You Read My Mind?**

**Author's Note**: "Poems and songs are riddled with metaphors and similes—well, the good ones are." –English teacher. :crosses off list: Ah well, there goes my childhood dream of becoming a songwriter. And just when I got a good tune today too...

The script for the two episodes I put into this chapter were taken from a combination of FET's Fandub and Splash's Japanese translations. Just wanted to say that in case anyone decided to ask.

This would have to be a repost because I felt that the other one was somewhat...incomplete, I guess.

**Disclaimer**: Digimon and the characters do not belong to me. However, this story is mine to claim.

_DigiFreak103,_ Yeah...well it's a better read for everyone when things flow together instead of just being all jumbled up thoughts. And thanks:)

_Lavos, The Time Apocalypse, _Uh...yes. What I meant to imply was Ryo's partner ..;; So at least we meant the same thing. To write Millenniumon's mind in general is going to be kind of difficult since I only know him through summaries of the WonderSwan Games—having not played the actual games myself—so I don't exactly know how he thinks...But I _will_ try my best in later chapters.

_Amethyst Blizzard_, Wow...someone actually figured me out. I told ya'll that I was listening to the same song last chapter and the original line for Ryo's comeback was: "Then it appears as if I survived you.". I wanted to keep it that way, but I found out that they were talking in the third person so I had to change it. x) Well at least someone made the connection.

"I actually feel for the characters when you express them as you do - they just seem extremely real." O.o What the :rereads story ten times: Gah...why can't _I_ find anything? Must the thing that makes me write like that be hidden! ;.; But no, I don't write like that. -.-

**Chapter 4**: A Little Rumour Goes A Long Way

* * *

Rumours, right? Seeing as how this information came from Jenrya, it was not likely. But when I'd first heard it from him my reaction had just been pure relief. I may have gotten over Leomon's death six months ago, but that did not mean that I was one to accept deaths easily. Ruki had become one of my best friends during that period—although we had only known each other for less than a year—and if she had actually fallen off... 

I drowned away my surfacing shudder, doing my best to think of something else. _Thank goodness Takato-kun_(1)_ was with her at the time._ I looked up from my position at the sink and saw that the boy had walked in, helping bring in the dishes I had volunteered to clean. Our eyes met for a moment and I had to smile. I didn't know whether or not my feelings had begun long before we became Tamers, but it had took the incident with the D-Reaper to open my eyes to the reality I had been too naïve to understand. Takato-kun had risked his life to save me, and his voice was the only one that had reached me.

_"Katou-san! Beelzebumon is doing this for real! He's really trying to save you! I'm telling you the truth!"_

_I looked up despairingly at the sound of that familiar voice...It felt like I should be able to recognize it, but I couldn't amongst the foggy daze that was my mind. Yet the harder I tried to focus on this voice, the easier my thoughts came to me... "Ta..ka..to..kun?" Oddly enough, the strange words seemed to slowly lift the fog._

_Suddenly, I heard a stream of steady punching and saw an Ultimate Digimon trying to beat his way into the sphere I was encased in. At my feet was Culumon, encouraging him on. "Damn it..." he kept repeating, his armoured fists swiping at the seemingly unbreakable barrier. _

_"Beel...zebu...mon..." the name felt heavy on my tongue but like the other word, it brought a dim memory to me. I thought back to what Takato-kun had said and then that was all I was able to say. "He came to...save...me?" The blanket that had bundled away my thoughts unwrapped and I blinked clear my eyes with surprise._

_"Damn it!" I heard the Digimon roar. He pumped his shaking fist into the air, screaming his rage. "I-I need more power!"_

_I stood up as my own words sank in. "You're saving me, you're saving me Beelzebumon!" I gasped when I saw his pose, my eyes growing wider in shock. The reason why I was even stuck here came back to me when I saw my late partner's image replace the Ultimate's, his low, rough voice switching to the rich frequencies of the lion. _

_"Fist Of The Beast King!" Beelzebumon's fist glowed a bright orange and he threw the fireball my way; like my partner's attack, this attack was in the form of Leomon's face. His face shattered a hole into the sphere and I winced a bit at the light that flooded through, followed by a cool wind. Beelzebumon was holding onto the jagged edge of the hole, panting at the effort. At my feet, I dimly heard Culumon cheer._

_A small grin broke onto Beelzebumon's face and he held out his clawed hand towards me. "Now hurry, come here." Sensing my hesitation, he asked me what was wrong before gasping when the edge started growing, trying to make the sphere a whole once more. "Hurry!"_

_I recoiled from him, feeling my tears begin again. The horrible event of that day came back to me and I was forced to relive the moment when Beelzebumon drove that very hand into Leomon, then mercilessly downloaded his data. 'No one can stop me! No one!' he'd cried that day, not allowing even the smallest hint of remorse as he met my eyes._

_"Juri! Hurry, hurry up and go Culu!" the little Baby Digimon pushed hard against my foot, but his strength was limited and could not move it even an inch. "Juri!"_

_"What's wrong?" Beelzebumon repeated again; now the sphere had closed itself tightly around him and he could barely reach out toward me. "Hurry! Hurry Juri!" I could hear his evident panic as the sphere was seconds away from completing its goal. I knew I was the cause of his guilt and he wanted to be forgiven for what he had done, but he had killed my partner. Was that really forgivable? "What are you doing? Juri!"_

_"Leomon..." I whispered and watched the Ultimate's eyes widen, the reason behind my reluctance clear. He knew that I was not about to forgive him, not going to take his hand no matter how many times he called my name._

_"KATOU-SAN!" I heard a voice cry out and that voice knocked me back to my senses, caused me to remember about our dispute with the D-Reaper. _

_I blinked away the tears and tried to look past this horrible Ultimate, to the Dukemon whom I knew was going to be there. "Takato-kun?" I whispered before the sphere swallowed me up once more._

From that moment, I knew that I didn't want to be saved by Beelzebumon but by Takato-kun. I don't know why he had been the only one to break my spell but I do know that I was grateful that he had fulfilled my wish. I heard Hirokazu say something outside and watched Takato-kun hurriedly rush out, almost forgetting to bow his head in respect—something he would almost always do. My smile grew wider and I quickly busied myself with the dishes. He could be that was sometimes—all old-fashioned and everything—but I couldn't blame him, I actually thought it cute.

_"Juri! Juri!" A high voice echoed in my head. I wanted to continuing resting but I felt the comforting warmth of another human being and was compelled to open my eyes, to confirm that I was truly safe and not just dreaming._

_"Katou-san! It's me!" His soft crimson eyes stared into mine with such relief that I was able to feel safe in his arms. I had never before seen such eyes and immediately concluded that I _was_ dreaming. My mouth froze for a couple of seconds and saw that relief in his eyes begin to waver._

_"Takato-kun?" I braved, sure that the dream was about to end._

_The sound of his name solidified his smile and his joy was so contagious that I almost could feel it seeping into me. "It's me. I came and I'm here," he confirmed as Culumon looked on with his bright smile._

_A slight smile formed on my own face, partially because of my exhaustion. "I'm happy. I really missed you."_

_"Me too."_

_I wanted to cry in relief. The nightmare was finally over and Takato-kun was by my side once more. Those two words alone forced me to wrap my arms around him and bury my face in his neck. I sensed his surprise but there was nothing I had to hide from him, least of all my feelings. He had been my knight in shining armour at my most desperate time._

I wondered if he had put away enough of his childish acts to feel what I felt. It was unlikely that he would change that drastically, but it was a small hope. I was suddenly aware that the living room had grown strangely silent and fleetingly wondered if we were out drinks or something, before scolding myself for thinking such a stupid thing. I saw Ruki pass my doorway and realized that it had been the birthday girl's departure that had silenced everyone.

Makino-san had picked up the microphone to try to get things back to normal and soon "My Tomorrow" had placed everyone back into casual talk. I looked around at my friends and saw that Takato-kun was staring down the hallway that Ruki had used, before proceeding to follow her out. He always put his friends before himself and would do anything to help a friend in need. Some may say that this characteristic was foolish, but I found it considerate of him.

I frowned. However, this time his action bothered me because it helped resurface Hirokazu's unlikely story. As I had not been at the playing field during Locomon's rampage Jen, Kenta, and Hirokazu helped summarize their experiences to me. Jen's recount had been about the very basics, pure fact. I knew that Kenta exaggerated the story a bit, especially during the part when they battled against Parasimon—I had trouble believing that MarineAngemon had defeated eight-tenths of them. But Hirokazu overstated the story even more than I could possibly imagine as his recount was based on pure opinion. He actually said that when Takato-kun had saved Ruki, he—

I closed my eyes and turned down the water a bit. How could I believe a pure Shiota story? I knew that he had made most of the story up so he could sound like he was greatly involved in it, so why did it bother me so? As Makino-san was still singing her song, I concentrated on the lyrics to avoid thinking about the boy's story.

My eyes fluttered open as Makino-san's last note echoed in the room, knowing that even in doing this I was not able to escape. For some reason the song reminded me of Takato-kun and as a result, leaded me to think about Hirokazu's crazy recount again. I briefly wondered why and thought back to the lyrics, comparing them to Guilmon's Tamer.

_C'mon, start running now, to a place that's not on maps. Things to be afraid of, there are none. _The eleven-year-old has always struck me as the adventurous type, especially with his love of Digimon. _Open the unknown door to the other side of the world. Advance, advance, I'm not lost anymore. _He had not been afraid when we were about to set off for the Digital World; he almost seemed apprehensive, thus further proving my adventurous view of him.

I suddenly heard the water beginning to rush again and was surprised to see Hata-san beside me, picking off where I left off. "These dishes aren't going to get washed themselves," she said teasingly.

I nodded my apology. "Sorry, I was busy thinking about something." Culumon floated in with some new dishes and placed them gently on the counter, panting his exhaustion. My smile flickered again and I patted his head softly, reaching over to readjust the small apron. The Baby let me and decided now to take a little break. I could tell that Hata-san was patiently waiting for me to continue so I did. "It's nothing really. I was just wondering about Takato-kun."

Hata-san responded with a knowing smile. "It's not a crime to like someone so you don't need to be so secretive." Pausing, she laughed. "That's what I tell keep on telling Ruki but she just won't listen."

I laughed along nervously, trying to hide the redness of my face. "I don't—"

The elder clicked her tongue with a shake of her head. "No, no. It's much too obvious so don't you dare try."

I sighed inwardly. Of course I couldn't fool Hata-san; after so many years on this earth, she's had the most experience with human beings and so could penetrate even the thickest mask with her wisdom. I conjured the most convincing smile I could muster and in an innocent voice I said, "Try what? It's really nothing. I was just wondering if he was tired or anything. You know, after what he did today." I silently cursed myself for being the one who brought the subject up. After all, the events today were the reason I was acting so down.

Hata-san sighed, her eyes telling me that she'd broken through my mask once more. "Juri, you shou—" She abruptly cut off to look behind her shoulder, her eyes widening in amusement. I hurriedly immersed myself in my work, scrubbing the plate so hard that it almost snapped in two.

Snapped in two—that was how I felt. I closed my eyes tightly to keep myself from choking on my tears. Takato-kun's action may have been nothing but it hurt me to even hear such things. Why did Hirokazu talk so much? Did he not know how I felt? Why did Takato have to be the one to save Ruki's life? Why was he even on that train? All selfish thoughts but I have been hurt enough in my lifetime; I couldn't stand losing Takato.

"Hata-san, I can take it from here," I heard him say in the voice that had this certain childish quality. I noticed that the quality had dimmed from the start of his Tamer career, but that was to be expected. Like I, he was growing up and so had to abandon all his childhood dreams; he had learned to take on the role of leadership and had a taste of how harsh life really was, something that would trigger a change in anyone.

"Thanks for the offer, Takato but I'm not one of those cranky grandmothers who complain about work. I do much of the chores as well," Hata-san answered with a smile in her voice.

"It's not that. I just want to help." I winced internally; why was I blaming him for helping my friend? It was a part of who he was so was I blaming him for being the boy I loved?

Hata-san resigned with a soft sigh and stepped away from the sink. "Have fun," she said before leaving the room completely. Through my confusion, I couldn't help a slight blush when Takato occupied the space beside me, a smile on his face. I tried to copy his action, failing terribly, and quickly delivered a plate to his gloved hands to divert my eyes.

I breathed in deeply as if by doing so could summon some courage. The eleven-year-old was right beside me now and I had to verify Hirokazu's words. "Is Ruki okay?"

He sighed before granting me an answer. "I don't know. I didn't get to ask her anything outside, but I hope she is. I feel like this is all my fault. If I hadn't told Hirokazu anything about what happened on the train, Ruki wouldn't have gotten upset. I mean, it is her birthday and everything and..." he trailed off, his blood red eyes falling to the ground. If he hadn't looked down he would have seen me gape at him, an indescribable fear breaking into my body. _No, it can't be true...Hirokazu just _can't_ be right!_

Absent-mindedly, I closed off the running water and stumbled toward the table, practically throwing myself into the chair. Ridiculous thoughts flooded before my eyes, obscuring my sense of reason and destroying my arguments. _Why—Takato—Ruki?_ I couldn't think properly and was slightly surprised when my vision blurred over with tears. Why—of all people—did Takato-kun have to be the one to break my heart?

From the corner of my eye, Takato-kun crossed and seated himself in the chair in front of me, a worried expression etched onto his face like stone. "Katou-san, are you okay?" he asked slowly and I almost wanted to bawl out loud. Why didn't he go and comfort Ruki? Why was he so obviously concerned about me? I couldn't stand it; I couldn't stand knowing that _this_ boy was the one I'd lost.

"Takato! Just stop it!" I burst out and slammed my hands on the tabletop, standing up to emphasize my point. I didn't want to see him and broke out into a run, past the surprised faces staring at me. "I'm leaving!" I managed to choke out, breaking free from the four-walled living room.

The sky gave off a light purple glow as the sun was close to dying once again, my vision obscured by the rising darkness. I hesitated from a second to collect my surroundings, running towards the large red doors that signalled the exit. A set of pounding footsteps was audible and I knew at once that Takato-kun was trying to catch me. Why did he have to be so kind and caring? Why couldn't he just leave me alone?

His hand closed around my wrist tightly, stopping me in my run. "Katou-san," he panted. "Why are you acting this way? What did I do?"

What did he do? I felt a harsh laugh rising in my throat. I was right; although Takato had grown much this past year, he had not completely put aside his childish attitude. "Why are you here Takato? You don't think that you've hurt me enough?"

"Hurt?" he echoed as if he didn't understand the meaning of the word. "I wouldn't hurt you, Katou-san."

I turned to face him, seeing the genuine shock that crossed his features at my look. My eyes were probably red after all the crying I did and I was sure that my hair was a mess. His maroon eyes probed mine desperately for an answer and I immediately gave one to him. "It's too late Takato, you already did."

"I-I don't understand..."

"Stop it!" I repeated, allowing my tears to flow freely now. "I know that it's Ruki you like so you don't have to pretend anymore. I always thought that it was I but today you've proved me wrong."

"What? R-Ruki?" His eyes widened significantly and he hastily let go of my hand, shrinking back in pure disbelief. I saw it right then and instantly realized that Hirokazu had been lying all along. I had known it as well, but why had I tricked myself into believing his story?

"Oh my...I'm sorry Takato," I gasped, reaching my hand out for acceptance. He was just gaping at me with pure disbelief, shaking his head slightly. I'd hurt him and already I was asking for his forgiveness? It was not to be; this game was going to end in a draw.

I bit down on my lip and turned away from the boy, breaking into a sprint and scolding myself for thinking so much. It was ironic that before I had thought I lost Takato when in reality he was still within my grasp. I had loosened my grip and now both of us were hurt because of my foolishness. Why did I make such a big deal out of something so little? I had lost my mother, my partner, and now Matsuda Takato—was my life to always follow this path?

* * *

(1) This was actually how she addressed him during the last Japanese two episodes (I would know, I have them) and since this takes place _after_ the D-Reaper incident...lol. 

**Author's Note**: I was actually listening to Owaranai Monogatari (Never-Ending Story) as I wrote this; for those of you who don't know what that is, it is Jeri and Leomon's duet song. I didn't understand any of the lyrics, but the sound of the song itself was enough to touch me. )

No, I realize that it's not much of a change from yesterday but at least now it seems more..."fuller" I guess is the word. I had, originally, decided to end the story here but that wouldn't have been a very nice ending now would it? With that in mind, remember that updates will not be as frequent due to Writer's Block and schoolwork. X.x

Seems like I'm having a summary crisis for this story—practically because of the various POVs and my inability to summarize all of them in one constant summary. Ah well, 'til our next meeting.


	5. Complications

**Could You Read My Mind?**

**Author's Note**: Latest update ever? It probably seemed like it...Sorry, but I couldn't get any work in mainly because of my Drama teacher demanding 5-pg journals every other week. And because I'm a fool I decided to write him a new story every time. :sigh: Ah well, onto _this_ story!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Digimon or any of the below mentioned characters. All I can legally claim is this plot and story.

_Digifreak103,_ Yes, overlapping POVs to understand what the various characters were thinking at the same time. I warned about that... :) Your comment makes me feel bad though...You tell me that it's good that I'm updating often and what happens? I go ahead and have wait two months to update. -.- I just feel like hiding in a hole now...

_KawaiinessPnay_, Bad ending sentence? -.- I seem to be getting those comments a lot lately (actually I've only gotten it twice but...). Well, you can't say that I didn't try... As to the subbed version of the movie: **http : people . morrisville . edu /** (insert **tilde**. disregard brackets) **lisi80 / LegacyMain . htm** . I think that the link would work better if you removed the spaces. .-.;;

_Amethyst Blizzard,_ As this story has no draft, I don't have a definite amount of chapters and like I said in the first chapter, there will be four consistent POVs: Ryo, Takato, Rika, and Jeri. Occasionally, there will be a few "guest stars" here and there but that's about it.

_Ao-Senshi_, However chapters will come out later than usual. ..;; And that is a terrible consequence all by itself.

_Forlorn Melody, _Well I _must_ have action in here somewhere. I mean, what is a story without action?

_Guess :P_, I _hate_ you... You weren't supposed to figure it out! After all, _my_ computer certainly didn't let me do it that way. Anyways, you shouldn't be talking squeaky viola. Good luck on Tuesday!

**Chapter 5**: Complications

* * *

"We have all heard about the event that occurred in Ichigaya, Shinjuku. After the attempted Digital invasion, what does the Digimon King have to say about this? How do you feel?" 

I groaned in sheer annoyance and pushed away the microphones that pressed against my face, doing my best to shrink away from the crowd. "No comment. When will you people learn to stop?"

The door on the driver's side of the car swung open unexpectedly, knocking away the foolish cameraman that blocked its swing. A bearded man emerged from the doorway, his black eyes piercing through the ones that dared met his angry gaze. He slammed the car door with such force that I winced slightly, thinking that it would fall off its hinges; on the other hand, the sound attracted all other eyes and I quickly took this opportunity to take shelter in the house, bolting the door behind me. I sighed loudly and retreated upstairs to my room, trying to forget the continuous noise outside.

It was really annoying how reporters believed that they were some kind of God, going around collecting information they shouldn't even know about. Usually I would luxuriate in the attention I received but tonight was just different. I thought always reporters were supposed to be excellent writers but I don't see how that can be true when they can't even interpret the simplest human emotions.

The balcony glass had a slightly translucent quality to it, so I reluctantly slid open the door to my balcony and leaned over the edge to observe the scene. I staggered backwards with a hand to my eyes when a wave of light hit me._ Cameras, really. Whoever thought them a good idea is a total fool._ Tentatively, I lifted my hand and waited for the spots to stop appearing in my vision. I arched my neck back to stare up at the eternal dark blanket covering Fukuoka, Kyushu, strongly contrasting with the light. I figured that it was a nice pose, especially with the reporters copied me.

Quickly my neck snapped back in place and I easily found my father on the porch as he tried to push his way through the door. He must have sensed my curious eyes because he narrowed his own up at me, prompting me to run a hand through my spiked hair although my nervous chuckle was left unheard through the noise. I ran back downstairs and unchained the door quickly. As soon as the _click_ was audible, a heavy object collided with me, pinning me to the floor and evaporating all my breath. When I heard the unmistakable sound of cameras going off, my throat executed a loud groan while my mouth performed an impressive swear. _Why am I the one plagued by these germs? I'm really going to start getting sick of them one day._ Luckily, reprieve from both physical torture and privacy invasion was granted as the weight lifted itself away.

"Get out!" my Dad roared, throwing a punch at the nearest reporter before slamming the door shut. His shoulders were raising and falling to match his deep breathing as he turned to face me. "Tell me, why you went to the Digital Zone again—and stayed for over three months." His tone was calm, but the flames in his eyes betrayed him. I sighed to myself. The one thing I had been hoping today was that my father would not find out about my arrival in the Real World; the reporters obviously had other plans for the man appeared at the Makino residence only a few hours after I'd talked to Ruki.

I shrugged, playing an act of indifference. "The D-Reaper caused a lot of damage in the Digital Zone so it's only common sense that I help out in any way I can."

"You shouldn't have stayed there for _three_ months without informing me!"

My features curved into a frown and I narrowed my eyes at the parental figure. "Dad, I told that I was leaving but you were too engrossed in your job to care about your own son."

He raised his eyebrows in amusement and he let out a curt laugh. "You knew that I was involved in a very important assignment; it could've affected the future of the company. And I do care about you Ryo, and that is why I need you to stop running off like that. Do you know that when you left, I spend days worrying about you? I was almost kicked off of the assignment because of that distraction!" My father sighed in exasperation and removed his jacket, letting it hang in the closet before making his way into the living room. As his only child, I knew that he had more to say so I silently followed.

Compared to other living rooms, this one was fairly large and old; the new coat of white paint couldn't conceal the marks made by its previous residents. To my right was a window that occupied nearly half of the east wall; a curtain, to dim the flashes of light, currently covered said object. I averted my eyes and, noting that my father had made it to the other side of the room, pressed my shoulder against the entrance; I liked to keep my distance when dealing with this particular person. It wasn't anything personal but I hardly spent any time with him and so I felt slightly uncomfortable in his presence.

The man practically threw himself onto the couch; his eyebrows were knitted in pure annoyance yet his expression had softened from the first time we had this talk. "This is just like when you disappeared with that creature of yours—"

"Cyberdramon," I automatically corrected. It's been more than a year since my partner was exposed to the Real World and my father still couldn't respect him!

This was confirmed with a wave of his hand; he wasn't used to people interrupting him. "And you spent almost a year in the Digital Zone! Do you know how worried I was then? Your previous trips there had lasted only a couple of days—a week at most—and suddenly they've been extended to a year?"

"If Cyberdramon had stayed here any longer, he would have become the next natural disaster!" I countered, rising in volume. "I doubt that Kyushu—much less Fukuoka—would still be here. In the Digital Zone he could be free to do whatever he wished, but I had to be with him." His eyes probed mine and I shifted my gaze slightly; it was as if he knew I was hiding something from him.

My father closed his eyes tightly to control his surfacing anger—and that was obvious by how contorted his face looked and how many times his left eye twitched. Finally his body stopped shaking with suppressed rage and his head shook slowly. "You don't get it, do you Ryo? I don't want to lose you. You're my only son and if I don't keep an eye on you, you're going to disappear, just like your mother."

A raised eyebrow accompanied my surprised look. So this was what he was getting at; he was just being over-protective of me, especially since I was the only family member he had left and he was still blaming himself over Mom's passing. "Dad, although I understand your concern, I'll have you know that I won't die so stop worrying about it. I'm fifteen years old and I think that's old enough to look after myself." I tried to smile reassuringly at him and was slightly amused when the smile came naturally. "Look, you've grown a couple of grey hairs. Sad for someone in their 30's." I laughed and exited the room with my Dad's appalled face in my mind.

I climbed the stairs slowly, my happy appearance disappearing just as slowly. Dad and I have always been on the wrong foot but I never would have guessed that it was because Mom passed away. Dad was clever; under a very demanding job, he lost himself in his work and continuously spent huge amounts of time away from home. The absence of a parental figure resulted, I guess, in the beginning my somewhat independent nature—an important factor in my escape from the restraints of the Real World. I sighed as my foot eased onto the top of the staircase, catching a glimpse of myself in the large mirror that hung in front.

I practically had nothing in common, appearance-wise _and_ personality-wise, with my father. My hand brushed casually through the soft strands of brown hair, noting that this had been inherited from my mother. My mother also once held my blue eyes with a gentle sparkle, and her smile was so reassuring that it could turn even the worst problems into little annoyances. I shot a glance downstairs and frowned slightly, wondering how the tense, suspicious man was related to the friendly and laid-back adolescent. My hand reached out to the mirror, examining its flawless surface. I closed my eyes and imagined that the inanimate decoration was my mother's touch. I knew that it was probably a lame thing to do but I hadn't even thought about her for so long; I owed her at least this.

"Mom, if you can hear this know that I've changed since you last laid eyes upon me," I paused, chuckling at my choice of vocabulary. "I never knew that one little year could create such an impact on our lives. I really regret having brought you and Dad to this dimension; you would still be alive if not for my childish decisions. Why didn't you stop me?" I asked my reflection, sighing when there was no response. My final words were nothing more than a whisper as I turned away from the mirror; even though I was only talking to myself, I couldn't let the mirror reflect my tears. "I miss you, Mom."

I quickly entered my room, not wanting Dad to see me in this state after my bold proclamation. I had said that I was old enough to take care of myself, didn't need him to worry and _already_ I was forgetting about that? The light turned on with a dull _click_ and I laid on the soft bed, blinking away the tears. I realized that the tears had streamed down and raised my hand to brush them off; it was probably the initial thought of my mother but as I did, I thought back to Ruki and our short conversation.

It was strange to admit, but I really _did_ like the eleven-year-old. Ruki was different from other girls; she didn't grovel at my feet or shower me with the praise that I so truly deserved. One might misinterpret that sentence as: "I like her because she plays hard to get", but it wasn't like that at all. A conversation between us couldn't last without one insult and I loved every moment of it. People might think me crazy but I craved to be treated like a regular person again, to be myself without having to worry about keeping up an appearance. Sure I loved the attention, but there were times when a guy had to loosen up, have fun. Had my good intentions destroyed our weak friendship?

I touched my cheek, remembering how fiercely the punch had been delivered and my initial reaction. Although she'd made many threats to hit me before, I never backed down so what was it that made me hesitate this time? How had I concluded that my actions were related to what was upsetting her? What the heck was upsetting her anyways? Why did I not just smile back and shrug the punch off like it was nothing? More importantly, why were these questions so hard to answer?

I sighed in annoyance and used both index fingers to rub at my temples. "Answers will reveal themselves in time," I told myself, closing my eyes, "even whatever Ruki's problem is."

A light tapping alerted me and throwing a glance to my side, I saw a towering figure, silhouetted by both the street lamps outside and the light in my room. Keeping a some-what imposing stance, he spread out two pairs of blood-red wings, scarred from various battles in the Digital Zone. The steel poking out from his elbows gleamed in the light as he smiled a toothy grin, his carnivorous teeth protruding from various spots. "Ryo."

I smiled back at him and lifted myself off the bed, sliding open the glass door effortlessly. "Remember the rule," I reminded him with a laugh. Cyberdramon grunted in nonchalance and in an instant, a purple dinosaur replaced him. I still thought Monodramon actually seemed more reptilian, mainly because of the fin-like attachments at his elbows. The Child grinned at me again, forgetting all about the Millenniumon that resided in him, and tackled me to the ground in an attempt to hug me.

"C'mon Monodramon, get up. You know, one day all the bones in my body are going to break under your weight," I joked with a grunt.

He merely laughed and made a face. "I'm not that heavy," he said but he mercifully stood anyways to find a spot on the comfortable-looking mattress. The Child's drill-like claws pawed at the sheets as he tried to pull himself up, failing thrice before he laid sprawled out on the bed.

I picked myself up and laid down on the bed beside my digital partner. "What took you so long? You could've been here long before we came, what was the hold up?"

Monodramon yawned loudly as he curled himself into a ball for warmth. "I sensed some Digimon along the way so I stayed to check out what it was. I didn't find anything, though," he pouted in a mumble.

"Well if the Digimon's hiding, it must be scared of this world," I reasoned, sliding my hands under my head to act as a pillow. "We'll go back to West Shinjuku tomorrow to see what we can do. 'Til then, let's get some shuteye."

---------------

"I'm home."

"Where have you been? Your father and I were worried sick! You shouldn't have come home this late without informing us beforehand!"

"Sorry Mom. I told you I was going to be over at Ruki's house today. I guess I just stayed longer than I thought I would. I'm very sorry. It won't happen again."

"I should hope not." Mom sighed. "This can promote bad study habits and failing grades. I want you to grow up to be a very, very successful young man and successful young men are never late."

I shouldn't have been but I was embarrassed at disappointing her. I had proven myself over and over again during the past year and now she was treating me like I was still the old Takato. "Sorry Mom."

Guilmon walked into the bakery, oblivious to the fact that he'd just scared off a customer, and immediately walked over to the counter, looking at my Dad. "Takato's Dad, is Guilmon's Guilmon bread finished now?" his distinguished child's voice inquired.

"Dad's almost done with it," I answered for him. "C'mon, we don't want to bother Dad and prolong the wait, now do we?"

Guilmon's amphibian-like ears lay flat in disappointment as he slouched over and dragged himself over to me. "No Guilmon bread yet? But I waited a long time, Takato!" He swiped a paw at the wall, leaving deep claw marks to show his impatience.

"Guilmon!" I cried, panicked eyes darting from him to my parents. "Let's go. Dad's going to be done faster once we leave."

His large dinosaur feet slapped against the floor several times in an awkward dance. "Takato!" I drew in a sharp breath and fell backward in an attempt to avoid his flailing tail, throwing my arms up to protect my face. Unexpectedly, my hands wrapped around the smooth red covering of the appendage and I quickly pulled myself back up, casting his tail aside and wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug. The Child's thrashing immediately stopped as he struggled against my hold, calling out my name repeatedly. I glanced back and seeing all eyes on us, chuckled nervously and focused all my strength into pushing Guilmon up the stairs.

"Takato..."

"Guilmon! Don't be so impatient!" I sighed and entered my room, turning on the light with a flick of my wrist. When would Guilmon learn that things did not turn out the way you wanted them to? When would he learn to not just look at the surface of things? When would he learn to look deeper, to understand the reasoning? Sure, he had grown a lot from that simple-minded Child, but there were some things that would never change... I withdrew my D-Arc from my pocket and crossed over to the paper-covered desk, placing the former card reader carefully onto its smooth wooden surface. A grim smile pulled at my lips. _Katou-san needs to look beyond the surface as well._

Although I always treated her above everyone else, I truthfully thought Katou-san only a friend. I never knew that the constant nagging at the back of my head was announcing my emotions for her, and I could have went on not knowing if it wasn't for today when she accused me of liking Ruki. My hands grasped the iron fence of the upper bunk bed and I pulled myself up, lying so that I could count the cracks in the ceiling. "How could she think that I like Ruki?" I wondered out loud. "I mean, all I did was save her from falling off the train, it wouldn't mean anything right? Then why...why would Katou-san think that way?"

Guilmon tilted his head up at me, hunger forgotten. "What _did_ Juri think, Takato? Why did she run away today?"

I sighed, pulling my trademark goggles away from my naturally messy hair. I've always seen the goggles as a symbol of leadership—Taichi and Daisuke had worn them in Digimon™—and back then my naïveté made me believe that I'd actually earned the right to take their place. But had I? I was nothing but a lost little boy, playing in a game where the rules of life existed. It wasn't until the incident with the D-Reaper that another boy emerged, a boy who was determined to defend the world, determined to save Katou-san; he was the boy destined to lead the Tamers.

I held them above my head, staring at a blue reflection of myself. What'd happened to that boy? Was he also destined to disappear forever, condemning me, the boy who couldn't even sort out his own emotions, to this world? "I don't know boy. I guess that I just got her upset." Was she jealous that I'd saved Ruki's life? Did she really believe that I had different intentions? I groaned inwardly. Katou-san was forcing me to either give up my friendship with Ruki, or the one with her.

"Then make her happy again," Guilmon suggested, laying his ears flat to enforce his next statement, "I like Juri when she's smiling. The last time she was sad, the D-Reaper replaced her."

I suddenly felt a pain in my chest, welling up from the bottom of my heart. Make her happy? How was I supposed to do that when both of us had suffered the causalities? _She accused me of liking Ruki... I thought we were supposed to trust each other, be friends._ "I don't think I'm the one to do that Guilmon. It's really complicated." _So complicated that even _I_ don't understand it._

Guilmon merely shrugged and curled into a ball, trying to gather as much warmth as he possibly could. The Child just didn't want to be bothered by such complicated things; he wanted, instead, to dream of a world where his cries for food would be answered. "Okie dokie."

I chuckled and threw my goggles around one of the bedposts, watching them spin until their momentum wore off, eventually coming to a stop. I didn't want to think about these things either. I knew answers came with time and experience and at the moment I possessed neither there was no reason for me to chase the answers so soon. I closed my eyes, wanting a break from the excitement of the day, to dream of a future yet to come. The phone's shrill ring echoed through the house and I was immediately up, knowing—just knowing—that the call was for me.

"Takato, telephone!"

* * *

**Author's Note**: There were two perspectives in this simply because the chapter would be too short if each stood on its own. 

I've decided to stop working on this story until this site answers my request for an International TV Shows category. It's really annoying because I've been working on an _Angels of Mission_ fic for a while and want to know if my efforts have been wasted, if their answer is negative. Damn it, the worst part is that they've been updating this site but have yet to answer the request I filed one month ago! Ugh...Answer me already!

:cough: Uh...ignore that rant. I _will_ be working on this story, just not as much due to the above-mentioned, exams, and of course the Drama journals. However, reviews might encourage me to work faster. :)


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